Penicillium inoculum in the citrus cold chain: an indicator of hygiene standards
R. Jacobs and L. Korsten.
Journal of Plant Pathology Volume 90 (2, Supplement) August 2008, Book of Abstract, 9th International Congress of Plant Pathology, August 24-29, 2008 Torino,Italy,. 507 pages.
2008
บทคัดย่อ
Penicillium inoculum in the citrus cold chain: an indicator of hygiene standards
Penicilliumspecies are responsible for excessive post-harvestdecay of fresh fruit during cold storage and export. The evolutionaryfunction of manyPenicilliumspecies is the decay of dead or dyingorganic material. once harvested, fruits shift their metabolismto senescence, which creates an ideal environment for colonizationby opportunistic decay fungi such asPencilliumspp. Fruit storageenvironments are therefore favourable for these pathogens. Sincemost species are soil-borne, the presence and inoculum load ofthese species in various indoor environments is indicative of thelevel of hygiene being enforced. The aim of this study was to followthe citrus cold chain from local packhouses inSouth Africato variousEuropean destinations, and sample environments such aspackhouses, coldrooms, re-pack facilities, distribution centres andretail outlets that the fruit moves through. Swabs were taken fromwalls and floors, packlines, rollers, brushes etc and processed bydilution plating. AllPenicilliumspp. were isolated, purified, preservedand morphologically identified, and identity confirmed usingITS andb-tubulin sequence data. The dominant species isolatedwereP. glabrum, P. crysogenum, P. polonicum, P. paneum, P. corylohilum,P. crustosum, P. brevicompactum, P. biourgeianum, P. communeandP. citrinum.Inoculum levels were relatively high for wallsand floors of repacking and storage facilities. The level and type ofPenicilliumspp present in these environments provided evidenceof the hygiene standards enforced and can represent a baseline forinternational hygiene standards.